Hand pump for pumping air of lower pressure and high pressure

ABSTRACT

A hand pump includes a receptacle having a compartment and a chamber, a tubular member engaged into the chamber and secured to the receptacle, a cylinder engaged onto the tubular member, a piston is engaged between the tubular member and the cylinder for forcing an air from a front space of the cylinder into the tubular member with a lower pressure, a lid is attached to the cylinder and a check valve controls the air to flow only from the outer environment into the cylinder, a control valve member is engaged in the lid for controlling the air to flow through the lid, and an actuator is attached to the lid and engaged with the control valve member for opening the hole of the lid and for releasing the air selectively.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hand air pump, and more particularly to a hand air pump including an improved and simplified structure or configuration for pumping air of lower pressure and high pressure and arranged for allowing the user to easily and quickly actuate or operate the hand pump.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Various kinds of typical hand pumps have been developed and provided for pumping air and normally comprise a pumping mechanism for generating or providing a pressurized air to inflate various inflatable devices or tubes or valves, such as sports balls, vehicle tires, cushioning members or the like. Some of the inflatable devices are required to be pumped with a lower pressure, but the other inflatable devices may be required to be pumped with an increased or higher pressure.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,457 to Chuang et al. discloses one of the typical hand air pumps comprising a different structure or configuration for pumping air of lower pressure and high pressure.

However, the typical hand air pump includes a complicated structure or configuration that may not be easily and quickly made or manufactured and that may include a complicated making or manufacturing procedure and that may include a greatly increased manufacturing cost.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional hand pumps for pumping air of lower pressure and high pressure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a hand air pump including an improved and simplified structure or configuration for pumping air of lower pressure and high pressure and arranged for allowing the user to easily and quickly actuate or operate the hand pump.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a hand pump comprising a receptacle including a partition provided therein to form a compartment and a chamber in the receptacle, the partition being located between the chamber and the compartment and including an opening formed in the partition and communicating with the chamber and the compartment of the receptacle, a tubular member including a first end portion engaged into the chamber and secured to the receptacle, and a second end portion extended out of the receptacle, and the tubular member including a bore formed therein and communicating with the opening of the partition and the compartment of the receptacle, a cylinder slidably engaged onto the tubular member, the cylinder including a first end portion engageable into the chamber of the receptacle and a second end portion extended out of the receptacle, the cylinder including a space having an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of the tubular member, a piston attached to the second end portion of the tubular member and slidably engaged between the tubular member and the cylinder for separating the space of the cylinder into a front space and a rear space, the piston including a passage formed therein, a control valve device attached to the piston for controlling the air to flow through the passage of the piston selectively, a first check valve disposed between the piston and the control valve device for controlling the air to flow only from the control valve device through the passage of the piston and into the bore of the tubular member, and to prevent the air from flowing backwardly from the bore of the tubular member into the control valve device, a cover attached to the first end portion of the cylinder, a second check valve attached to the first end portion of the cylinder for controlling the air to flow from an outer environment into the front space of the cylinder when the cylinder is moved toward the receptacle, and to prevent the air from flowing out of the front space of the cylinder when the cylinder is moved away from the receptacle, a lid attached to the second end portion of the cylinder, the lid including a hole formed therein, a third check valve attached to the second end portion of the cylinder for controlling the air to flow only from the outer environment through the hole of the lid and into the rear space of the cylinder when the cylinder is moved away from the receptacle, and to prevent the air from flowing out of the rear space of the cylinder when the cylinder is moved toward the receptacle, a control valve member engaged in the lid for controlling the air to flow through the hole of the lid, and an actuator attached to the lid and engaged with the control valve member for selectively opening the hole of the lid, and arranged for allowing the user to easily and quickly actuate or operate the hand pump.

The control valve member includes a sliding member slidably engaged in the cylinder, the sliding member includes a stem extendible out of the hole of the lid, and a spring biasing member is engaged with the sliding member for biasing the sliding member to block the hole of the lid selectively.

The control valve member includes a barrel attached onto the second end portion of the cylinder, the barrel includes a compartment formed therein and includes a slot communicating with the compartment of the barrel, and the actuator is engaged in the compartment of the barrel and includes a shank extendible out of the slot of the barrel.

The control valve device includes an outer peripheral groove formed therein, and a manifold formed in the control valve device and communicating with the passage of the piston and the outer peripheral groove of the control valve device, and a valve piece engaged into the outer peripheral groove of the control valve device and arranged to control the air to flow only from the front space of the cylinder into the manifold of the control valve device and into the bore of the tubular member when the cylinder is moved away from the receptacle, and to prevent the air from flowing from the rear space of the cylinder into the manifold of the control valve device and into the bore of the tubular member when the cylinder is moved toward the receptacle.

The valve piece is selected from a sealing ring engaged into the outer peripheral groove of the control valve device. The receptacle includes a valve piece and a gasket engaged into the compartment of the receptacle, and a cap is secured to the receptacle for retaining the valve piece and the gasket within the compartment of the receptacle.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a hand pump in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hand pump for pumping air of lower pressure and high pressure;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the hand pump, taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4, 5 are enlarged partial cross sectional views of the hand pump;

FIGS. 6, 7 are enlarged partial cross sectional views similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 respectively, illustrating the operation of the hand pump; and

FIGS. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 are cross sectional views similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the operation of the hand pump.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-5, a hand pump in accordance with the present invention comprises a receptacle 10 including a compartment or chamber 11 formed therein, and including a partition 12 formed or provided in the chamber 11 of the receptacle 10 for forming or defining a chamber or compartment 13 in the front portion of the receptacle 10, and the partition 12 is arranged to be located between the chamber 11 and the compartment 13 of the receptacle 10 and includes an opening 14 formed in the partition 12 and communicating with the chamber 11 and the compartment 13 of the receptacle 10.

A valve piece 15 and a gasket 16 are disposed or engaged into the compartment 13 of the receptacle 10, and a cap 17 is attached or mounted or secured to the receptacle 10 for anchoring or retaining or positioning the valve piece 15 and the gasket 16 within the compartment 13 of the receptacle 10, and for engaging with the inflatable devices (not illustrated) and for providing a pressurized air to inflate the inflatable devices. The above-described structure or configuration for the valve piece 15 and the gasket 16 and the cap 17 is typical and is not related to the present invention and will not be described in further details.

A tubular member 20 includes one or front or first end portion 21 engaged into the chamber 11 of the receptacle 10, and attached or mounted or secured to the receptacle 10 with such as a threaded engagement or the like, and another or rear or second end portion 22 extended or located out of the receptacle 10, and the tubular member 20 includes a bore 23 formed therein and communicating with the opening 14 of the partition 12 and the compartment 13 of the receptacle 10, but offset or spaced or separated from the chamber 11 of the receptacle 10.

Another tubular member or cylinder 30 is slidably disposed or engaged onto the tubular member 20, and includes one or front or first end portion 31 engageable into the chamber 11 of the receptacle 10, and another or rear or second end portion 32 extended or located out of the receptacle 10, and the cylinder 30 includes an inner space 33 formed therein and having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the tubular member 20. A piston 24 is attached or mounted or secured to the rear or second end portion 22 of the tubular member 20 and slidably engaged in the inner space 33 of the cylinder 30; i.e., the piston 24 is slidably engaged between the tubular member 20 and the cylinder 30, and for spacing or separating the inner space 33 of the cylinder 30 into a front space 34 and a rear space 35.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 8-16, the piston 24 includes a passage 25 formed therein, and a control valve device 40 is attached or mounted or secured to the piston 24 for controlling the air to flow through the passage 25 of the piston 24 selectively. A check valve 26 is disposed or engaged between the piston 24 and the control valve device 40, or is attached or mounted or secured to the piston 24 for controlling the air to flow only from the control valve device 40 through the passage 25 of the piston 24 and into the bore 23 of the tubular member 20, and to prevent the air from flowing backwardly from the bore 23 of the tubular member 20 into the control valve device 40.

The control valve device 40 includes an outer peripheral groove 41 (FIGS. 1, 4, 6) formed in the outer peripheral portion thereof, and includes a manifold 42 formed therein (FIGS. 1, 3-4, 6) and communicating with the passage 25 of the piston 24 and the outer peripheral groove 41 of the control valve device 40, and another valve piece 43, such as a sealing ring 43 is disposed or engaged into the outer peripheral groove 41 of the control valve device 40, and arranged for allowing the air to flow only from the front space 34 of the cylinder 30 into the manifold 42 of the control valve device 40 and into the bore 23 of the tubular member 20 when the cylinder 30 is moved rightward away from the receptacle 10 (FIGS. 3, 6), and to prevent the air from flowing from the rear space 35 of the cylinder 30 into the manifold 42 of the control valve device 40 and into the bore 23 of the tubular member 20 when the cylinder 30 is moved leftward and toward the receptacle 10 (FIGS. 4, 10).

A cover 36 is attached or mounted or secured to and/or engaged into the front or first end portion 31 of the cylinder 30, and another check valve 37 is attached or mounted or secured to the front or first end portion 31 of the cylinder 30 for controlling the air to flow only from the outer environment into the front space 34 of the cylinder 30 when the cylinder 30 is moved leftward and toward the receptacle 10, and to prevent the air from flowing out of the front space 34 of the cylinder 30 when the cylinder 30 is moved rightward away from the receptacle 10. Another cover or lid 50 is attached or mounted or secured to and/or engaged into the rear or second end portion 32 of the cylinder 30, and a further check valve 51, such as a cylindrical basket 51(FIG. 1) is also attached or mounted or secured to the rear or second end portion 32 of the cylinder 30 for controlling the air to flow only from the outer environment into the rear space 35 of the cylinder 30 when the cylinder 30 is moved rightward away from the receptacle 10, and to prevent the air from flowing out of the rear space 35 of the cylinder 30 when the cylinder 30 is moved leftward and toward the receptacle 10.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5, and 7, the lid 50 includes a hole 52 formed therein, a sliding member 53 is slidably received or engaged in the cylinder 30 and includes a stem 54 extendible out of the hole 52 of the lid 50, and a spring biasing member 55 is attached or mounted or secured to the lid 50 and engaged with the sliding member 53 for biasing and forcing or moving the sliding member 53 to block the hole 52 of the lid 50 selectively (FIG. 5) and/or for controlling the air to flow through the hole 52 of the lid 50 selectively, and arranged for allowing the air to flow through the hole 52 of the lid 50 selectively when the sliding member 53 is depressed or disengaged from the hole 52 of the lid 50 with the stem 54 (FIG. 7). The sliding member 53 and the spring biasing member 55 may thus be formed and acted as a control valve member 53 that is engaged in the lid 50 for controlling the air to flow through the hole 52 of the lid 50.

A control ferrule or hand grip or barrel 60 is attached or mounted or secured onto the rear or second end portion 32 of the cylinder 30 and includes a compartment 61 formed therein (FIGS. 5, 7), and includes a slot 62 formed therein and communicating with the compartment 61 of the barrel 60, and includes a depression 63 formed in the outer portion thereof and communicating with the slot 62 of the barrel 60, and an actuator 65 is movably disposed or engaged in the compartment 61 of the barrel 60 or attached to the lid 50 and contacted or engaged with the stem 54 of the sliding member 53, and includes a knob or shank 66 extendible out of the slot 62 of the barrel 60 for being actuated or operated by the user to depress the stem 54 and to disengage the sliding member 53 from the hole 52 of the lid 50 selectively.

In operation, as shown in FIGS. 3, 5-6 and 8-11, the shank 66 of the actuator 65 is movable along the slot 62 of the barrel 60 and selectively disengaged from the stem 54 of the sliding member 53, at this moment, the sliding member 53 may be biased and forced and moved by the spring biasing member 55 to block the hole 52 of the lid 50 selectively (FIG. 5) and arranged for allowing the air to flow only from the outer environment into and through the hole 52 of the lid 50 selectively and into the rear space 35 of the cylinder 30. When the cylinder 30 is pulled and moved away from the receptacle 10 from the position as shown in FIG. 8 to that shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, the air in the front space 34 of the cylinder 30 is controlled by the control valve device 40 (FIG. 6) to flow into the manifold 42 of the control valve device 40 and into the bore 23 of the tubular member 20 and then into the compartment 13 of the receptacle 10, and for providing the pressurized air of a relatively lower pressure to inflate the inflatable devices.

When the cylinder 30 is pushed and moved toward the receptacle 10 from the position as shown in FIG. 9 to that shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the air in the rear space 35 of the cylinder 30 is controlled by the control valve device 40 (FIG. 4) to flow into the manifold 42 of the control valve device 40 and then to flow into the bore 23 of the tubular member 20 and then to flow into the compartment 13 of the receptacle 10, and for providing the pressurized air of a relatively higher pressure to inflate the inflatable devices.

On the contrary, as shown in FIGS. 12-16, the actuator 65 may be moved to engage with the stem 54 of the sliding member 53 (FIG. 7) and may depress and disengage the sliding member 53 from the hole 52 of the lid 50 such that the air in the rear space 35 of the cylinder 30 may freely flow out through the hole 52 of the lid 50. When the cylinder 30 is pulled and moved away from the receptacle 10 from the position as shown in FIG. 12 to that shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the air in the front space 34 of the cylinder 30 may also be controlled by the control valve device 40 (FIG. 6) to flow into the manifold 42 of the control valve device 40 and into the bore 23 of the tubular member 20 and then into the compartment 13 of the receptacle 10, and for providing the pressurized air of a relatively lower pressure to inflate the inflatable devices. When the cylinder 30 is pushed and moved toward the receptacle 10 from the position as shown in FIG. 14 to that shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the air in the rear space 35 of the cylinder 30 may flow out and may not be pressurized at this moment.

Accordingly, the hand pump in accordance with the present invention includes an improved and simplified structure or configuration for pumping air of lower pressure and high pressure and arranged for allowing the user to easily and quickly actuate or operate the hand pump.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

I claim:
 1. A hand pump comprising: a receptacle including a partition provided therein to form a compartment and a chamber in said receptacle, said partition being located between said chamber and said compartment and including an opening formed in said partition and communicating with said chamber and said compartment of said receptacle, a tubular member including a first end portion engaged into said chamber and secured to said receptacle, and a second end portion extended out of said receptacle, and said tubular member including a bore formed therein and communicating with said opening of said partition and said compartment of said receptacle, a cylinder slidably engaged onto said tubular member, said cylinder including a first end portion engageable into said chamber of said receptacle and a second end portion extended out of said receptacle, said cylinder including a space having an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of said tubular member, a piston attached to said second end portion of said tubular member and slidably engaged between said tubular member and said cylinder for separating said space of said cylinder into a front space and a rear space, said piston including a passage formed therein, a control valve device attached to said piston for controlling the air to flow through said passage of said piston selectively, a first check valve disposed between said piston and said control valve device for controlling the air to flow only from said control valve device through said passage of said piston and into said bore of said tubular member, and to prevent the air from flowing backwardly from said bore of said tubular member into said control valve device, a cover attached to said first end portion of said cylinder, a second check valve attached to said first end portion of said cylinder for controlling the air to flow from an outer environment into said front space of said cylinder when said cylinder is moved toward said receptacle, and to prevent the air from flowing out of said front space of said cylinder when said cylinder is moved away from said receptacle, a lid attached to said second end portion of said cylinder, said lid including a hole formed therein, a third check valve attached to said second end portion of said cylinder for controlling the air to flow only from said outer environment through said hole of said lid and into said rear space of said cylinder when said cylinder is moved away from said receptacle, and to prevent the air from flowing out of said rear space of said cylinder when said cylinder is moved toward said receptacle, a control valve member engaged in said lid for controlling the air to flow through said hole of said lid, and an actuator attached to said lid and engaged with said control valve member for selectively opening said hole of said lid.
 2. The hand pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control valve member includes a sliding member slidably engaged in said cylinder, said sliding member includes a stem extendible out of said hole of said lid, and a spring biasing member is engaged with said sliding member for biasing said sliding member to block said hole of said lid selectively.
 3. The hand pump as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control valve member includes a barrel attached onto said second end portion of said cylinder, said barrel includes a compartment formed therein and includes a slot communicating with said compartment of said barrel, and said actuator is engaged in said compartment of said barrel and includes a shank extendible out of said slot of said barrel.
 4. The hand pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control valve device includes an outer peripheral groove formed therein, and a manifold formed in said control valve device and communicating with said passage of said piston and said outer peripheral groove of said control valve device, and a valve piece engaged into said outer peripheral groove of said control valve device and arranged to control the air to flow only from said front space of said cylinder into said manifold of said control valve device and into said bore of said tubular member when said cylinder is moved away from said receptacle, and to prevent the air from flowing from said rear space of said cylinder into said manifold of said control valve device and into said bore of said tubular member when said cylinder is moved toward said receptacle.
 5. The hand pump as claimed in claim 4, wherein said valve piece is selected from a sealing ring engaged into said outer peripheral groove of said control valve device.
 6. The hand pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receptacle includes a valve piece and a gasket engaged into said compartment of said receptacle, and a cap secured to said receptacle for retaining said valve piece and said gasket within said compartment of said receptacle. 